This past week, our 1st Impressions team had their Friendsgiving huddle. Every huddle we like to have a theme, something that you can take away and sit with. In light of Thanksgiving coming up, Annah, our 1st Impressions Director, wanted to lean into gratitude. 

*“Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.*

*See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.*

*Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 *

Gratitude is not just a feeling but a heart posture that helps us see God in every moment. Both moments that are big and moments that are small. 

Gratitude reminds us that we don't just serve by completing tasks but *we serve people*. 

The team was encouraged to approach serving with thankful hearts because when we do that, we reflect God’s love by making space for Him to flow through us. 

Annah reminded her team that we see moments of gratitude all the time on our teams - we may just not realize it!

*When the set up team sets up 400 chairs each week to allow for over 1,000 guests to have a seat on Saturday or Sunday to experience God or even putting out the signage around our building so someone can seamlessly find our building.*

*When the tear down team breaks down 400 chairs to make this space usable during the week, allowing 90 VIBE students to be able to have     worship and small groups in here!*

*When the connection points team has talked to and checked in over 650 First-Time Guests this year.*

*When hospitality has to sort through over 2,000 munchkins a week because sometimes that's someone's breakfast for that day.*

*The greeters when they take the extra second to say hi and get to know someone by name to make them feel at home.*

These are moments of gratitude in motion! We serve not out of obligation but out of overflow! 

I want to take a second for you to think about what you're grateful for - maybe in your faith, in your day-to-day life, in the service of others.

What has God done lately that maybe you haven't slowed down to thank Him for yet? 

Maybe it's something as small as having a good meal or moving your body. Maybe a moment of peace in the middle of chaos, or something as large as playing a part in someone's first encounter with Jesus! 

I encourage you to sit with these praises as we gear up for the holidays! 


1st Impressions Friendsgiving: Seeing God in Every Moment

We live in a time where we can listen to five sermons, three podcasts, and scroll through endless “faith” content before lunch — but still miss actually hearing from God. 

This past weekend, we kicked off a brand new conversation called *Consumer Christianity*, where we talked about how, in an age of endless information and constant access to content, God calls us out of storing information and into living out His Word. 

One of my favorite ways we get to live out His love is through community. It’s no secret that Monday nights at 8 p.m. let me and my girls do exactly that. Dinner Group for us is a space where we get to dig deeper and apply the weekend’s conversation, but it’s also a place to bring our questions and talk through confusion about what we’re hearing or experiencing. Some of our best discussions start when someone simply says, “I need more help understanding that!” 

That’s how our group kicked off this past Monday night. We were talking about how the overconsumption of content can actually cause more harm than good if we aren’t actively applying what we’re learning. As we worked through that, a simple but profound idea came to mind — one that might seem obvious, but for me, it was the clearest way to explain why it’s so important not just to learn *about* God, but to actually spend time *with* Him — through His Word and His presence. 

I’ll use my own dad as an example, but this could really apply to anyone. Say I wanted to know more about my father — what he enjoys, his personality, what bothers him, or the little things that bring him joy. I could call up his friends, and they could tell me stories from college or share what makes him laugh. His parents could tell me about moments that made him cry. I could look through his favorite things — his playlists, his recently watched Netflix shows — to see what helps him unwind after a long day. I could even ask my mom for all the tips and tricks on how to navigate his brain best. Or I could pull out an old photo album to see what kind of questionable hairstyles he rocked in the 80s. 

None of those are bad ways to get to know someone. They give you context, and they can absolutely help paint a fuller picture of who that person is. But when I think about the *best* way to truly know my dad’s heart, one thing stands above the rest — *him.* Sitting with my dad. Being in his presence. Observing his heart. It’s one thing to hear stories about how my dad treats people — it’s another to sit across from him at the kitchen table and see the way he listens. That’s where I really get to know who he is and what he loves. 

And that’s exactly what our Father in Heaven invites us to do. 

Think of it this way: listening to a Christian podcast is like overhearing someone else’s phone call with your dad. You can catch parts of it, and maybe even learn something, but it’s not the same as having your own conversation. 

The good news is, you can. God calls us to spend time with Him directly because that’s where we experience Him best — through prayer, through quiet moments in His presence, and through His Word, which is His voice to us. He’s given us full access to know Him personally, not just secondhand. And the best part? He *loves* that time with us. He delights in revealing who He is. 

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” — *James 4:8 *

Podcasts, books, shows, and blogs are wonderful supplements. They help us hear about what God is doing and how He’s moving in others’ lives. But they were never meant to replace personal time with Him. 

So as you move forward this week, don’t just *consume* content about God. Spend time *with* God — the One who loves you most, who gave His life so that you could have yours, and who’s inviting you not just to know *about* Him, but to *know Him. *

What would it look like this week to close the app, open His Word, and let your Father speak directly to you? 


From Knowing About Him to Knowing Him

“Even now, declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning” Joel 2:12

       Fasting is mentioned over 70 times throughout Scripture. There are countless stories of fasts taking place, from Moses in Old Testament times, to Paul in the New Testament, and even Jesus Himself who fasted 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness. I remember reading about these fasts and wondering two things: 1. Was fasting just a practice meant for biblical times? 2. What exactly would fasting look like in my own walk? 

       My questions surrounding the practice of fasting left me intimidated and unsure of where to begin. However, I felt myself increasingly more convicted to step into this practice. And so I began in the only place where I knew I’d find answers apart from God Himself- my Hoboken Grace community. I reached out to the Godly women I was surrounded by and I asked them to walk alongside me during my first biblical fast. The morning of our fast, we gathered together in prayer and set intentions with God for our day. I then set off on my own to spend time with Him, doing my best to unplug from the outside world. I spent that day communing with God and dwelling in His presence through prayer, silence, worship and Scripture. We ended the day back together again, sharing our experiences with the Lord and breaking our fast with the body and blood of Christ. I have since done several fasts, each looking different than the next but here is a takeaway of what I’ve learned along the way.

1.  I was initially so caught up in fasting as a call to give up food, that I lost the reason behind the call to practice it. I think, above all else, fasting is a way to diminish the noise of this world and simply spend more time in the presence of our Lord. We deny our flesh and we place God at the forefront. We remove food and our phones and we create an environment where we are more inclined to hear the gentle whisper of God. 

2.  I surrendered the misconception that a fast had to result in a big revelation from God. I had to check my heart posture and ensure I wasn’t stepping into fasting with the intention of what I could get out of it. Of course, our God is a good and loving Father, and He always finds a way to communicate to us if we choose to listen but remember this- even if it feels like God doesn’t speak to you in a big way during your fast, know that you spent the day drawing closer to Him. And in doing that, your heart was molded regardless of if you felt the effect or not. You made the decision to put God first in everything that day and your muscle of obedience was strengthened. Don’t diminish the way God works behind the scenes. It may seem like you just spent the day hungry, doing your best to deny yourself some breakfast, but so much more was being shaped within you in the process. Simply saying no to a meal now, most likely helped contribute to a more confident no when faced with a future temptation. 

3.  Fasting in community was a game changer. God blessed us all when He built this HG community and I’m willing to bet He wishes for us to utilize it to its fullest. Lean on each other. Walk through the hard things as one. Share in each others struggles and relish in each others wins. I can’t tell you how many blessings in my life are the result of my faithful and prayerful community around me.

So I leave you with a final thought, in the words of our wise Pastor Anthony, “We are in a constant battle of flesh vs. spirit…the one we feed, is the one that will win”


What I Learned About God (and Community) Through Fasting

When Jena looks back on her journey, she sees a clear pattern—God was at work long before she realized it.

In high school and college, Jena admits that her focus wasn’t on faith. She poured her energy into grades, sports, and achievements—the things right in front of her. Her identity and sense of worth were tied to performance and success. But after graduating college and completing a two-year rotational program through her company, she landed in Hoboken and hit a low point.

“I was feeling very depressed and isolated,” she recalls. “I didn’t know anyone here at the time.”

It was during that season that a friend reached out after seeing her struggle. The friend suggested she check out a local church called Hoboken Grace. Curious, Jena searched online and stumbled upon our story videos.

“I stayed up watching so many of them that night,” she says. “I just remember sobbing in my bed. And I was like, they know something that I don't know or that I'm missing. They just had an overwhelming sense of peace and calmness. They were content in who they were. And in that point of my life, that was so foreign to me.”

That moment sparked something in her. Jena decided to take a step forward and attend Hoboken Grace. She quickly jumped into a Dinner Group—something that felt outside her comfort zone—and began to open herself to community and faith.

It was through that group that one of her friends, Diane, encouraged her to try serving in Grace Kids. Jena wasn’t so sure at first. “I remember thinking, ‘What could I possibly have to offer a bunch of fourth and fifth graders?’” But she trusted Diane and decided to say yes.

That simple yes turned into one of the greatest blessings of her life. Over seven years, Jena served in our kids' ministry and had the joy of watching many of those same kids grow from fourth graders into high schoolers. “Every Thursday at VIBE, they would run up and hug me,” she recalls. “It was the most fulfilling thing to know I had made even a small impact.”

For Jena, serving became more than volunteering—it became a way God healed and grew her faith. For a long time, Jena thought she needed to get herself together before she could serve. But she found out it’s actually the opposite. When you step in, God works through you, even in your brokenness.

Recently, one of the girls in her small group sent her a message before her move to Colorado:

“You were always there when I needed you. Your impact will last far longer than you think. Your love and support helped shape me into who I am today.”

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That message reminded Jena that the seeds she’s planted in the lives of these kids are part of something much bigger than herself. We may never see the full harvest but what we’re called to do is show up and love—because God does the rest.

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Jena’s story is a great reminder to all of us: You don’t need to be perfect and have it all together for God to use you. He meets us where we’re at. We just need to be willing to meet Him.

So if you’re wondering whether you’re ready for God to use you, maybe the better question is: Are you willing to say yes? Because that small yes could change everything.

Even in brokenness, God works through us when we simply show up.

To watch Jena’s story, click [here](https://youtu.be/QZeGrFrj76E).

To learn more about serving on VIBE, you can email <kelsey.thompson@hobokengrace.com>.

When a Simple Yes Changes Everything

I had just moved to Hoboken for the one thing many people move here for. New York City. After an apartment in Manhattan fell through, I moved to a building on 1st and Harrison called The Sky Club, which happened to be the home of a Hoboken fan favorite restaurant, Northern Soul. While Northern Soul is no longer there, that location will always hold a special place in my heart. It was the place I fell in love with Connection Events and where I discovered what Hoboken Grace is all about. 

I was invited to a First Friday by somebody who I had only met in service one time. “Oh good! You live in that building. The event is basically in your basement.” I had no excuse not to be there. I’m a pure-blooded extrovert, yet I don’t think it’s fun for anyone when you enter a sea of strangers who already know each other and have established relationships. Those feelings dissipated within minutes of entering these doors and meeting some of the friendliest people I have ever come across. 

Connection Events are more than just a fun time out. They’re a way of getting to know the people within our church outside of a Sunday setting. A Sunday or Saturday will have our lobby packed with a sea of people, attending or serving, all moving up and down the stairs. Odds are, you’ll get to know someone on a deeper level by sitting down for a cup of coffee with them at Bwé or devouring a plate of wings at City Bistro on a Friday night. 

One of my absolute favorite things about Connection Events is how we get to utilize our city and everything it has to offer. The suburbs have their own advantages. Wider spaces, quieter streets. But living in a walkable, energetic city like Hoboken gives us the opportunity to explore and visit all sorts of unique places and activities that are all easy to access. Because of that, we’re able to take part in Movies Under the Stars at Pier A, trivia nights at 8th Street Tavern and a handful of coffee shops in a single morning all within the span of one month. 

Getting to see the coffee crawls grow from an idea to help out small businesses during the pandemic, to a Hoboken Grace staple has been an incredible thing to witness. Because of this event, we’ve been able to build rapport with local coffee shop owners to the point they know our name and our church just because of us stopping by to use their business for our meeting points. Just last month, we experienced this in action by starting our coffee crawl at Café Vista (great spot on 5th & Monroe), where we had a group so large that we filled the entire place out, and the employees took notice. They asked if they could take our picture to use for their Instagram and tag our church in the post. While this may seem like a small, passive gesture in the grand scheme of things, I see it as a local business wanting to give us a shoutout and choose to be associated with our name, when years ago, some others would have tried to ignore the work we’re doing. 

Being a church that is “for our city” means getting out into the city and being out along WITH the people who live in it. It’s not just staying in the comfort of our building, but meeting other people where they’re at. Our connection events team has the mission to connect the unconnected, but I believe that goes beyond only people who are already in our church family. It also means connecting people to our city and all the wonderful things it has to offer. Whether it’s a cup of coffee at a spot you’ve never heard of, or a crawl searching for the best pizza spots in town, I encourage every single one of you to take a chance with these events. Meet someone new, and learn more about this awesome city we get to call home in the process.

For Our City: Living Out Connection in Hoboken

Over the weekend, I listened to a sermon series by Craig Groeschel titled “The Book of Ruth.” Throughout the series, Craig talks on the concept of the “providence of God,” which is when God uses natural circumstances to bring about His supernatural will. He uses the Book of Ruth as an example, since it contains “no physical miracles or parting of the Red Sea,” but you are able to see the providence of God. He explains that it is best understood when you look backwards. When you start with Jesus and work backwards through his lineage, you see evidence of the providence of God. Jesus came from Joseph and Mary, who came from Jacob and Mathew, who came from descendant after descendant, until you reach a guy named Obed, who was born of Ruth and Boaz. God was working the whole time, and it was only made clear when looking backwards. The significance of Ruth being encouraged to leave Moab to go to Bethlehem was not evident in that chapter of her life. But knowing that decision rippled into a series of decisions that brought us to the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the significance becomes indisputable. 

After listening to The Book of Ruth, I listened to a sermon given that Sunday by Pastor Anthony, which was all about how God works through words, service, and faith, to encourage us to take a next step. After reflecting on both sermons, I realized that the moments of encouragement I know I’ve experienced in my own life are evidence of the providential power of God. So I decided to work backwards and bring to life how God was working through people the entire time to bring me to the chapter I am in today. I may not have seen it in the moment, but reflecting back, it was there the whole time. 

*My timeline activity example*:

\*From as long as I can remember, I was encouraged by my family to center faith in my life.

\*October 2022- I was feeling lost and I knew I was missing something major in my life. I was encouraged by online podcasts/ sermons and the faith of others to begin a search for what I was missing. I found Hoboken Grace and decided to come to a service on my own one Sunday.

\*Annah, who was serving in first impressions that morning, encouraged her roommate Jayne to sit next to me during the service. Jayne was such an encouragement after the service, inviting me to Friday coffee with girls from church, inviting me to join her dinner group, and inviting me back to church with her the following Sunday. She allowed God to work through her that day and it completely changed the course of my life.

\*January 2023-I was encouraged by my dinner group girls, who were all serving on teams at HG, to begin serving on the Grace Kids team.

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I was also encouraged to serve in Florida on a faith-based missions trip.

\*February 2023- I was encouraged by those who chose to publicly proclaim their faith through the step of Baptism. Witnessing others being baptized as well as the decision of my friend Annah to get baptized, encouraged me to take the step as well. My family and friends were all there to love and support me that day and I felt even more encouraged to continue growing my relationship with Jesus.

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\*January 2024- The love of my dinner group girls and the constant encouragement of my leaders, Heidi and Jayne, encouraged me to begin to step into a dinner group leadership role.

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I shared this with my group and decided we could all look backwards on our own journeys. This activity served as a way to bring to life the times we were encouraged to take a step of faith. In doing so, we created a timeline that left it undeniable that we serve a loving and good God who is constantly at work in our lives, bringing us to the current chapter we find ourselves in. It was incredible to see how God worked specifically and uniquely in each and every girl's life, working through people to encourage each and every step. It was a perfect way to learn every girl's story and what brought them to Hoboken Grace and our dinner group that night. Everyone had a different story to tell, but all shared the common theme- God uses natural circumstances to bring about His supernatural purpose and will.

Everyone’s timelines looked different and portrayed different decisions and steps in their lives. If the steps had been looked at standing alone, it would have been easy to write them off as mere coincidences or luck, or even moments of unimportance. But when the timelines came to life, it was evident that the steps taken by each and every girl were the result of a loving and intentional God. 


The Providence of God

A Diverse, Growing, Contemporary, Community Church in Hoboken

Everything we do revolves around our mission of helping people find their way back to God. Our goal is to demonstrate who God really is and to let others know that God wants a relationship with each and every one of us.

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